Secrets of the Night
by v1olinh3ro
Summary: Things get a little crazy when Team Seven gets a "mysterious" new team member. WARNING: slight depression/self-harm themes in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys. This is NarutoXOC, so if you don't like that, that's okay, but I still encourage you to read this. The OC is me. Some Grimdark/self-harm/angsty themes, but they are not the main focus. If it seems like it is progressing quickly, just remember that it took me three months to write three days. The writing is a little forced in the beginning, but believe me when I say that it gets better. Many people have passed judgement, mmkay?

When Team Seven gets a new team member description yadda yadda. Naruto basically...wait, don't wanna give away the obvious ending for you lovely people.

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A figure walked through the gates of Konoha one day, the guards nodding as she passed. She was shrouded head to toe in black, her face covered in shadows. What skin was visible was a light olive tone, and she carried what looked like a metal club on her back. It was thin and had some padding on the handle for a better grip. Quickly, as if she was skimming above the ground, she made her way to the Hokage's office and gave a report to Lady Tsunade. She had dark circles under her eyes and it had the effect of making her look well beyond her years, if not tired as heck. On the other hand, her chocolate brown eyes had an eager twinkle to them. She spoke fast, and her voice cracked occasionally as she spoke, an effect not of stress, but of growing up. The girl may have looked older, but her voice still gave her away as a teen.

"As per your request, I am a shinobi from the Night," she pointed to the crescent moon emblazoned on her forehead protector and gesticulated widely as she spoke, "I will find a permanent residence in the Leaf, carrying out missions like one of your own. You can see how far the Night has come, all the while reporting back to my homeland. I hope that our villages can become allies." The girl offered a shy smile.

Tsunade nodded, "Here is your Leaf headband, you will be joining Team Kakashi for now to fill in the spot left by Sakura."

The girl cocked her head as she swapped out the headbands and dropped her cloak of the Night, folding it neatly before it disappeared into thin air, her auburn hair nearly falling out of the bun she wore it in, "What happened to her?"

"The Sand needed her to make vast quantities of healing medicine, as a plague has come to their village. Sakura just left early this morning, and we do not expect her to return for quite a while. May I ask your name?"

At that moment, impatient Naruto burst through the Hokage's office door, "So where's the new team member, Grandma Tsunade?"

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Right here, Naruto."

The girl blushed slightly and waved.

Naruto squinted, "Hu? I've never seen you around before."

"W-well, I uh, that's because we were in different years at the Academy, Naruto."

"Oh, well, in that case, welcome to Team Kakashi!"

As if on cue, Kakashi walked in and gestured to Naruto, "Hello. Sorry about him, he's a little enthusiastic."

The girl shrugged and cracked a lopsided smile, "It's no big deal. The name's Tori. I'm really looking forward to being with you guys."

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"Hey, Naruto?"

Naruto turned to look at Tori, "Yeah?"

"Well, I'm not really from the Leaf-"

"I knew it!"

Tori laughed, "I came here from the recently developed Night Village, and I need a place to stay. Would you mind if I stayed with you?"

"It's a little small, but hey, the more the merrier. First, though, I have to meet Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji for barbecue." He licked his lips in anticipation.

"Yeah, and please don't tell anyone where I'm really from." She followed him through town to the restaurant, casually taking in the sights of the quaint village.

They met Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru outside of the restaurant and were about to go find a table when Sai happened to be passing by, so Naruto asked him to join them for dinner.

"Oh, by the way, this is Tori," Naruto introduced her to Sai, and she waved shyly.

"Hello, uh," _This must be the new team member Lady Tsunade told us about. I'd better think of a nickname fast. Personality trait and girls like to be called the opposite of what they are_, "Ugly." (a/n: lol I know what you're thinking, but I couldn't resist)

Everyone's mouths hit the floor in astonishment and as they looked to Tori for her reaction, she just laughed, "You're not going to pick up very many girls with that attitude, is that what you were trying to do? The cool jerk approach? Don't waste your time, I've seen it all." _From a distance, nobody in my village will go near me, and I've heard it from my only friend_.

"W-what? No! I was just... I read that giving people nicknames helps bring you closer, that they're based on personality traits, and I've come to the conclusion that girls like to be called the opposite of what they are."

Tori raised an eyebrow, but appeared otherwise unfazed by the veiled compliment. She didn't get very many, so she was more than a little skeptical. Ino, on the other hand, was fuming, and Shikamaru and Choji had to hold her back.

The brown-haired girl slid into a booth to watch this all unfold. Shikamaru and Choji lost their hold on Ino, who punched Sai and he went flying. Unfortunately, he crashed into Naruto and Ino prepared to pounce on them both. Tori turned her head towards Ino, made a few hand signs under the table, then crossed an arm over her chest and put a hand on her chin, wearing a mildly amused expression on her face.

"Stop. You're taking this far too harshly. Just let it go. You're actually quite pretty." _That should help, but I still need to watch my back. She seems to be a loose cannon_.

Ino sighed and visibly calmed down, "Thanks, I guess." _Who does this girl think she is? Who is she? I know she can't be from the Leaf. Let's see if I can find out who she really is._ She sat down across from Naruto, Sai, and Tori, then Shikamaru and Choji filed into the booth after her.

Tori tensed and her breath caught, but she made another hand sign to release whatever strange jutsu that was. Immediately, the waitress brought out everyone's usual, as they came here often, and asked the newcomer, "What can I get for you today?"

With only a cursory glance at the menu, she answered, "The chicken Yakitori, please, (a/n: lawl, cos it has my name in it) three orders of it."

"Really, now, can you eat all of that?"

She shrugged, "Whatever I can't finish, I'll take back home."

The waitress raised an eyebrow, but returned later, after everyone else was almost finished ('cept fo' Choji), with the perfectly marinated, perfectly skewered, pieces of chicken. Tori's mouth began to water as she cooked the Yakitori skewers over the open flame. She didn't even wait for it to cool off before she took a bite.

"AHH! HOT! Hot!" Everyone at the table was laughing as she fanned her mouth and took big gulps of water.

"I thought only Naruto could do something that stupid," said Ino.

"HEY! That's not nice." Naruto said indignantly, his lips in a pout.

Ino rolled her eyes. Tori's chicken had cooled down enough by that time, so of course she wolfed down every last succulent bite. All three orders. Everyone looked at her in shock, except for Choji, who was still too busy savoring his meal. _Man, she eats as much as Choji, _Shikamaru thought.

Tori smiled not noticing, or pretending not to, that they were all looking at her, "Ah, that was good." She took out her wallet, did some very quick mental math, and put her share of the bill on the table.

Naruto looked in his wallet, but came up empty, "Sorry guys, I spent it all on a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. Or two...or three..."

She shrugged, "It's no biggie, here." Tori added another share onto the pile.

"Thanks!" He beamed at her, "We should probably start heading back to my place because we have to be up early for ninja training." After the rest of them placed their shares on the pile, they said goodbye and set off to their respective homes. Tori couldn't help but overhear a _loud_ conversation between Ino and Shikamaru.

"That new girl is strange, and did you hear? She's staying over at Naruto's! They can't just be friends, what with how they looked at each other. What does she see in him, anyway?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "So? You're reading too much into this, Ino. And if she really is going out with him, who cares? That's great for them."

"I think we should figure this out." Ino pulled Shikamaru behind a building.

"What a drag," Shikamaru replied, "I was looking forward to taking a nap."

Tori snickered, grabbed Naruto's hand and whispered in his ear, "Just play along."

Naruto blushed, and though he had no idea what was going on, he nodded.

They got to the door of Naruto's cramped apartment and he let go of her hand to fish around in his pocket for his keys. He unlocked the door.

"Hey, foxy," Tori said with a wink. She glanced back discreetly to make sure Ino was paying attention (she was), "I know we fixed your bed, but are you sure it's gonna be okay?"

"Y-yeah, and if not, there's always the floor." Naruto had turned several shades darker. He opened the door and they walked inside, shutting it behind them.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that all about?" He raised an eyebrow.

She rubbed her neck, "I overheard Ino say that she thinks we're together and that she was going to follow us around, so I thought, 'Well, why the heck not?' Messing with people's heads is fun."

Naruto felt a little deflated, _Wait, why do I feel this way? Sakura's the only girl for me, _"Oh, okay."

"You should've seen the look on her face, priceless," she mimicked it perfectly and began to laugh. Naruto soon joined in.

"We should do more stuff like this, think of some more pranks." She grinned, "It'll be fun."

Tori jumped about a foot, "Oh!" She reached out and seemed to be groping around for something, then pulled a backpack out of thin air!

"EEEH?!" Naruto leapt back.

"It's annoying to have to carry everything around all the time, so I just stash it in the shadows. Then it's all right where I need it. Just one of the many secrets of the Night." She winked, rummaged around in the pack, and pulled out a sleeping bag, pajamas, and what looked like a CD.

"Do you have a video player? I have something to show you and it might improve your ninja training methods," Tori asked.

"Yeah, sure, hand it to me, I'll get it set up." He took the DVD and motioned for her to get ready for bed. She took her pajamas and a toothbrush into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later, the movie (or whatever it was), all ready. Naruto was already in his loose nightclothes. When he saw her, he couldn't help but notice how cute (a/n: not complimenting myself, this is a love story) she looked wearing her mismatched fuzzy socks, oversized T-shirt, and baggy soda pop pants.

Tori folded her clothes neatly and threw them and the toothbrush back in the bag, which vaporized. She plopped down on the floor next to Naruto and tugged the remote out of his hand.

"Hey!" He tried to get it back, but she held up a hand.

"Before we start, I need to say a few things. Baseball is not just a game - it can be used to improve your strength, speed, agility, and strategy, so it is perfect for ninja training. There are nine innings in a game, and each inning both teams have a chance to score runs. They do that by hitting the ball with a bat and advancing across the bases until they make one complete round, coming back to home plate. The rest I'm sure you'll understand as you watch." Tori was about to hit play, but Naruto raised his hand.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"A bat? You're not telling me they hit the ball with an _actual_ bat, right?"

She snorted, "No," and picked up her thin metal club, smacking it lightly against her hand, "_this_ is a bat. I don't carry this around just for hitting people, y'know."

"Oh, okay." He stole the remote back, "Ha," and pressed play.

In the beginning, Naruto had to ask a few questions, but soon he was disputing calls just like a true fan.

"OH COME ON, UMP! HE WAS SAFE! DID YOU SEE THAT? HE WAS SAFE!"

Tori nodded, "It's a shame, but keep watching." They had unconsciously drifted closer and he had even put his arm around her. Naruto gently rubbed her arm, paying close attention to the game. He didn't know, but she had fallen asleep. Traveling really takes it out of you.

"Wow, that was great." He yawned, "Time for bed." He shut off the TV and got up, leaving Tori to flop over onto the floor.

"No, I don't want the pink one," she mumbled and rolled over, still sleeping soundly. Naruto laughed, then folded her into the sleeping bag and tucked himself in.


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight gently streamed through the windows of Naruto's apartment. Tori slowly woke up, looked at the clock, blinked once, twice-

"SHIT!" She shook Naruto back and forth, "Wake up! We're late!"

He jumped out of bed, "You go get ready, I'll make breakfast!"

She grabbed her clothes from the shadows and changed in literally seconds, "No time! We'll have to eat on the way!" Her pajamas vanished.

They each grabbed protein bars and sprinted to the training grounds, inhaling them on the way.

Sai looked up, "I've been waiting for awhile. I'd expect this tardiness from you, Naruto, but not from Tori."

Naruto glared at Sai, "Well, at least we beat Kakashi-sensei here!"

"Actually," Kakashi patted Naruto on the shoulder, "I was early."

"OH, OKAY, THE ONE TIME WE SHOW UP LATE, YOU'RE EARLY. WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE THIS TIME?!" Tori tried to calm him down. He did, but only after promises of Ichiraku ramen.

Kakashi was the first to break the tension, "Since we have a new team member, I'd like you all to get to know each other better," at this, Tori and Naruto looked away awkwardly, "so I'll ask you your likes, dislikes, and dreams for the future."

(For those of you who have followed "Naruto" from the beginning, Kakashi's and Naruto's responses were essentially the same and Sai was still too socially retarded to really say much of anything.)

"Let's see, I like food, sleep, and anything funny. I find a lot of things funny. Another of my likes is my trusty baseball bat." Kakashi and Sai raised their eyebrows, having no idea what she was talking about. "My dislikes are when there's no more food, waking up early, and stuck up people. I really don't know what I want to do yet, but I have options." She later told Naruto that she dreamed of becoming Yorukage.

"Right, so, Naruto is adding a Wind change in chakra nature to his Rasengan and Sai is improving his Super Beast Scroll jutsu. Is there anything you're working on?"

"My Water nature chakra works best at night, but I can also read minds." Tori made a few discreet hand signs.

Naruto scoffed, _Yeah, right. Man, I miss Sakura. When's she gonna be back?_

_This could be interesting, I wonder if it's practical_, Kakashi thought.

Sai stared ahead impassively, unable to make the proper facial expression, _This is a waste, I'm sure the Sharingan is much better for battle_.

Tori smirked, "Well, Sakura will be back in about a month, this jutsu is quite practical, especially for gathering intel because it uses minimal chakra, and," she chuckled, "can the Sharingan do this?"

Sai walked stiffly over to Naruto and gave him a wedgie (a/n: immature, I know, but funny). Naruto looked like he wanted to do something about it, but he seemed to be rooted to his spot.

"Not only mind reading," Tori explained, "but mind control. Total, it's irresistible. I can read and control as many people as I want at a time, and over vast distances. The better I know the person, the easier they are to read." She released the jutsu and Naruto, who had a lot of built up tension, sent a very hard punch to Sai's gut.

Tori apologized and helped Sai up, popping a piece of gum into her mouth and offering him one. As soon as he grabbed it, something snapped shut on his finger. She started laughing and Naruto was soon to join in.

"Sorry, I should've told y'all that it's got a _snappy_ flavor." Tori collapsed to the ground, laughing even more, and Naruto fell down next to her. They laughed until their stomachs ached.

Kakashi shook his head, _Oh, boy, we've got another one of those. What fun_.

Naruto sat up, "Hey, I know!"

"What?" Tori looked at him.

"For our ninja training, we should have a baseball game!"

"Naruto, nobody except for us knows how to play, and we don't have enough players."

"C'mon, please?" He gave her his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine, just, go find some more people, I'll get things set up."

Tori set up the bases and the pitchers mound, then used her chakra-channeling bat to cut benches out of trees. She placed them on the outside of the foul lines. Lastly, she pulled multifarious gloves, bats, and baseball caps from the shadows. Naruto came back with nine others, all confused on what they were doing here.

"We can split into two teams of six. That should be enough to cover the infield. Can you explain the basic rules to them?"

The two teams consisted of Tori, Naruto, Sai, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji on one side and Rock Lee, Tenten, Neji, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata on the other. Tori passed out black baseball caps to her team and white to Lee's, as well as gloves to both teams.

"Okay, now that you all understand the basics, I'm going to set one extra rule. No ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, or ninja tools, got it? This is just a scrimmage. I'm gonna flip a coin to see who's home team."

"Heads," Lee called. Tori flipped the coin and it landed tails.

"Sorry, better luck next time," she shrugged.

Her team took the third base side and Lee's took the other.

"Alright," Shikamaru said, "This seems to me like strategy plays as much role in this game as anything else, but that strategy is mainly based upon chance, whether the ball comes to you or not, whether the runner chooses to go for that extra base. You need to have a bunch of moves already thought out in your head."

Tori joined in, "Exactly. It's a shame I'm not much of a pitcher, but I'm sure somebody else can take that position."

"I can pitch. Choji, you okay to catch?"

Choji nodded in affirmation.

"Tori, since you know the rules the best, you'll play first. Sai can play second, Naruto shortstop, and Ino third."

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Get your nose out of that book for once and come be our umpire!" Naruto waved him over.

Everyone took their respective positions on the field and practiced throwing the ball around. Ino had quite the throwing arm and Shikamaru's pitches were strike after strike.

Rock Lee stepped up to the plate, looking rather comical.

"Batter up!"

Tori yelled quite loudly, "NO OUTS, PLAY TO FIRST!"

On the first pitch, Lee hit a hard ground ball straight to Tori. Anyone else would've been out, but Lee ran lightning fast.

(a/n: okay, I can't write sports for my life, boring game. yeah. just skip to the end.)

It was the bottom of the ninth, Tori's team was losing 10-9, there were two outs, and Naruto was up. Tori was on third base, feeling pretty proud of her effortless triple, and hoping to God that he didn't get out. If he did, the game was over. It would be humiliating to lose to such an inexperienced team.

CRACK! The ball went flying. Tori slid into home to tie the game, to much applause from her teammates. As Naruto was rounding first, the ball soared into the woods, probably never to be seen again. He laughed once and jogged the rest of the way. His team met him at home plate for high fives, and Tori knocked him over in a tackle hug.

"You did it! Congrats, how does it feel?"

He hugged her back. "Great! I hit it just right, and didn't even feel like anything at all!"

"We should do this again sometime!" Kiba said when the teams lined up and congratulated each other with high fives. There were enthusiastic nods all around and the crowd dispersed, taking their new equipment with them.

Tori threw her cap and glove into the shadows, but kept her bat in its usual place on her back. She and Naruto walked back to his apartment together, then ordered takeout Ichiraku ramen.

"Ah, this hits the spot!" Tori said, slurping up the last of her broth.

"Of course! Ichiraku has the best ramen in the world! Don't deny it!"

"Don't try to fight this," Tori muttered. (a/n: from a song)

"Eh?"

"Nothing." She sighed, seeming reserved, "Pass me another bowl, please."

She ate in silence for about five seconds until Naruto interrupted, "I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid. I know something's bothering you."

Tori avoided making eye contact for a while, "I guess you have a right to know. The Night was founded by my eccentric great aunt Iz (a/n: short for Isabel), so it's only natural that my family would be often in the public eye. Rumors were not uncommon. When the village first started out and I was about five years old, there was a terrible accident," she laughed bitterly, "that's what Iz told me. She wasn't too fond of me after that day. I didn't remember anything, only that my mom, dad, little sister, everyone I cared about, was dead on the ground in front of me when I came to. I was sad, but I got over it. Things happen, dattebayo. Then, when I was thirteen, someone had the guts to tell me what really happened. This mind control jutsu I have, it was inherited. A kekkei genkai. I didn't understand. I was the only one in my family to have this power. There was no reason to believe him, but no reason not to, either. He told me, 'It's been simmering under the surface. You'll be the first, but not the last.'

"He told me that on that day, I had lost my temper. I was little, I didn't know any better. It just so happens that there's another part to my jutsu. I can command people... _to die_."

Those words sent a chill through Naruto.

Tori's voice dropped an octave and her fists clenched. "Everything suddenly made sense. Why nobody wanted to be anywhere near me, why they all hated me, feared me. Why somebody was always watching me. Oh, they knew they couldn't kill me, but that didn't stop them from trying. I was so afraid. The Night was still new, a weak village. I felt so surrounded, yet so alone, it was just my fear, and I, two familiar friends, alone in this world."

A creepy smile stretched across her face, "Then, I made a new friend. Pain. Every day we would meet behind the Academy."

She pulled back her left sleeve and held out her arm in front of Naruto. There were three raised pink scars, the middle one slightly longer than the other two. "I figured, 'Why waste skin and cut the whole arm?' I cut the same three lines, over and over. They stand for my mom, dad, and sister. They remind me to never lose control, because if I do, I may end up hurting somebody else. It felt good, cutting. It was almost like a high, I was addicted. I finally stopped because I found music playing out of a shop window when I was walking home a few months ago. Not that I hadn't heard music before, but this was true art. I realized that I'm not alone in this world, that somebody else understands what I'm going through. Even with that, though, I still suffer the chance of a relapse.

Tori's expression softened, "I miss them all. I had the best parents, and my sister was so cute." Her shoulders shook out a sob, "She was only two years old, Naruto. She had her whole life ahead of her, and I, I threw it all away!"

Naruto put an arm around her awkwardly and she cried, soaking his shirt unashamedly.

"I mean, I made a friend later, but... I-I'm so sorry!" She bawled.

Naruto held her tighter and nuzzled her head, speaking into her hair, "It's okay, I forgive you. It wasn't your fault. I like you a lot, actually." _Perhaps more than I should_...

Tori sniffed and looked into Naruto's eyes, _His big, brilliant blue eyes_. He looked back and was about to say something else, but he turned his head away.

"It's getting late. We have a mission tomorrow morning and don't want to be tardy again."

They did their nighttime routines and got into their bed/sleeping bag.

"G'night, Naruto."

"Yeah," he yawned, "see you in the-" A plethora of snores could be heard from him. Tori chuckled, but sleep didn't come as easily for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Team seven managed to be in the Hokage's office on time, but from Naruto's attitude, they shouldn't have even shown up at all.

"A D RANK MISSION?! GRANNY TSUNADE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"Now, Naruto," she said sternly, "There are very few A, B, and C rank missions available, so they all go to the higher level ninja. I'm sorry, but my mind is set."

Naruto let loose a string of swearwords and Kakashi had to drag him out by the ear, Sai and Tori following close behind, Tori giggling silently.

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When Team seven arrived at the old woman's house, she greeted them warmly, even though Naruto was still in a foul mood. The three of them divided up the tasks evenly: Tori weeded the garden, Sai harvested the crops, and Naruto mowed the lawn.

Finally, after they had finished and were caked in dirt and sweat, the old woman gave them coupons for the hot springs right up the road.

"For your hard work, you deserve these." The old woman smiled.

"All right! Just what we need!" Naruto fist-pumped in appreciation.

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Upon reaching the hot springs, they showered off in the locker rooms. It felt good to wash the layers of dirt and sweat down the drain. Tori stepped out of the locker room wearing a towel and her jaw dropped, but only for a split second. The hot spring was co-ed and since she had never been to one before, it made her more self-conscious than ever. She slowly slipped off her towel and eased into the hot, bubbling pool, leaning against the edge, completely relaxed. Naruto walked out with a towel around his waist, his sculpted upper body on full display. Tori's jaw dropped again and she felt something warm on her upper lip, but passed it off as condensation.

Naruto ran over to her and knelt down, using the edge of his towel to blot under her nose, "Oh my God, are you okay? Did you hit your head? Did somebody punch you?"

He looked angry, as if the thought of someone harming her was something to be upset about. She shook her head, which calmed him, but she was unable to find a clear train of thought. The bleeding stopped, so Naruto shed his towel and eased into the water. Soon to follow were Kakashi and Sai.

Naruto grinned widely, "So, this is your first time, right? How do you like the water?"

She blushed and gave a lopsided smile, "It's very nice, thanks."

"Yeah," he rested an arm behind her on the side of the pool, the close proximity making it even harder for her to think.

He leaned closer and Tori closed her eyes, her heart threatening to beat right out of her chest. Their lips were just millimeters away when Sai popped up out of nowhere.

"Hello!" He said, wearing that ridiculous smile of his.

There was steam coming out of Naruto's ears - or was it the hot spring? Anyway, anybody could tell he was pissed. Tori, on the other hand, was blushing a deep red.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA, HU?!"

Naruto splashed Sai, and Sai splashed right back. Sai then splashed Tori, and she joined in. They were all laughing. Kakashi shook his head and sighed, watching the whole escapade unfold.

Tori grabbed her towel from the side of the pool, "Alright, well, I'm getting out."

After she left, she overheard Sai teasing Naruto, "Naruto and Tori sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-"

Naruto punched him hard in the jaw, "We would have been if you hadn't interrupted!"

She laughed and shook her head.

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Naruto and Tori didn't get back to his apartment until late in the evening. They were looking out at the night sky through a window, he was lying down on his bed.

"The Night is so pretty," Tori said, looking up at the sky, "It's almost a full moon. And see that red-looking star?"

Naruto nodded, "What is it?"

"It's Mars. The universe is so fascinating. Just think, we're tiny specs in an ever-expanding space. It's really humbling, really puts you in your place."

She laid down next to him and smiled. He smiled back.

Naruto sat up and tucked some of Tori's hair behind her ear. He leaned down and barely brushed his lips against hers. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Soon, their clothes were strewn across the room, all except for Naruto's boxers. He reached past Tori, rummaging around in his dresser drawer, while she pulled off his boxers slowly.

He had a condom in his hand, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah."

He put it on rather quickly (a/n: lawl, inside joke for sushi [that was rather hot/British]), and though Tori wanted to crack a joke, she suppressed the urge. Then, he pushed in slowly, earning a whimper from her.

(a/n: I'm not good at this part, so let's go straight to the after. Even though I hate when fanfictions do that.)

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The sunlight came brightly through Naruto's window. He yawned and stretched, being careful not to wake Tori, who was sleeping soundly. She seemed to be talking, mumbling something, and Naruto strained his ears to hear her.

"You...Naruto...break promise...to my...self...but..."

"Hu?" He cocked his head.

Tori muttered something unintelligible and rolled over, falling off of the bed and thumping comically onto the floor. Surprisingly, she was still sleeping. Naruto wasn't sure what to do, so he just watched and waited for her to wake up.

After a few minutes, Tori's eyes fluttered open, she groaned, and threw an arm across her eyes.

"Did we really do what I think we did last night?"

Naruto blushed, "Yes. Why? Did you," his head fell, "not really mean it?"

She said something that sounded like, "I wasn't even drunk," then, louder, "Oh, I meant it, alright."

He relaxed, "Then, what's wrong?"

She sighed and tucked her knees up to her chest, "I promised myself that I'd never get too attached to anybody, in case I lost control again. I don't think that I'd be able to handle that kind of incident. I made it seem like this power is easy to control, but it isn't. Not only that, it leaves me nearly dead."

Naruto nodded, "I feel that way too. I'm the nine-tails jinchuriki, and once, I hurt Sakura while using the nine-tails' chakra. You probably felt much worse, but you can't give up all of your relationships just because of the past. You work through it," his tone suddenly changed.

"Damn it, Tori, do you think I want to lose people any less than you? Do you think I want to lose you too?"

She wasn't sure what to say, so she squeezed his hand gently.

He looked into her eyes, "I know this is sudden, but-"

Tori cut him off, smirking, "Nothing is sudden after last night."

He laughed, "Yeah, I guess. I want to say that I love you. Even though we've only known each other for a few days. I can't imagine you not being here."

"I love you too," she replied, and hugged him.

Naruto hugged her back, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Dunno, but my hair feels really greasy. That reminds me..." She pulled some hair dye out of the shadows, "I was gonna do it when I got here, but I never got the chance. I like trying out different colors."

"Neat, is it dyed right now?"

"Naw, I let it go back to my natural color after a disaster with some orange dye," she laughed. "My hair was a mess for months, so I cut it all off."

Naruto laughed along with her and put on his boxers, "Nice, can I try some?" He handed her his robe.

She slid it on, "Well, why the heck not? This is permanent, I mean, it'll grow out, but until then it is. You have to leave it in your hair for fifteen minutes and then wash it out and ta-da!"

"Sweet!"

Fifteen minutes later, the dye was ready to be washed out. They shed what little they were wearing and Naruto helped Tori into the shower.

"I want to get the full impact of this dye," Tori said, "so no looking until we get out, got it?"

He nodded and they started washing their own hair. It was hard not to get a glimpse in the small, cramped shower, but they did their best. As they stood back to back, occasionally their skin would touch and send chills through them, despite how hot the shower was.

Naruto helped Tori out of the shower, handing her an extra towel, which she tucked under her arms. He wrapped his around his waist.

Tori wiped the fog off of the mirror and smiled to herself. Her hair had turned out well. It was a shiny black that faded into a deep crimson at the ends, so her hair appeared to be on fire.

She turned to look at Naruto, her heart stopped, and when it started again it was going doubletime. He had dyed his hair and eyebrows black. With the contrast to his luminous blue eyes, Tori had trouble just standing up.

"So," he asked, "how do I look?"

"Black is a very good color on you," she managed to breathe out. Tori placed her left hand over his heart. Naruto held it and touched his lips to her scarred wrist.

Brown eyes met blue and they kissed.

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Tori and Naruto donned their comfort clothes (a/n: I don't know what else to call them). For her, sweatpants and a sweatshirt. For him, more of the same.

Their fingers were knotted in each other's hair and their lips were locked when someone knocked on the door.

"Ignore it, maybe they'll leave," Tori suggested, and Naruto started sucking on her neck in response. There was another, louder knock. Tori pulled away, groaning.

"I'll get it."

She opened the door to see Hinata, who was looking rather flustered, but she soon relaxed.

"Oh, hi, Tori. Is N-naruto-kun around?"

Hinata then noticed the hickey on Tori's neck, _Poor girl has a rash. I probably shouldn't bring it up, it would embarrass her_.

"Yeah," she called him out. "Hey, foxy! Hinata's here to see you!"

Hinata blushed, "H-hi, Naruto-kun. I like what you've d-done with your hair."

"Thanks," he smiled. "What's up?"

"I h-had some Ichiraku ramen coupons, a-and I thought that you might want them."

She held out the coupons, her hand trembling, and he took them.

"A-alright, well, see you later, N-naruto-kun."

"Bye, Hinata."

Tori closed the door gently behind her.

"She likes you."

"How do y- Don't tell me you read her mind. That's not cool."

"I don't have to read her mind to see that. Why do you think she's always so nervous around you?"

Naruto stroked an imaginary beard, "Yeah, I guess that never occurred to me."

He shrugged, "Why don't we use these coupons and go out for lunch?"

Tori raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Can't we just order delivery?"

Thunder rumbled in the background and Tori nodded, "I smelled it coming a few days ago, when I first got here. It isn't always timely, but my nose has never been wrong.

"The best is the smell of snow. Faintly sweet, with a hint of rain." She closed her eyes, a smile playing across her lips. (a/n: omg I swear that is the best smell in the world. snow smells so good. I just ajdlgsahjsd)

Naruto nodded, as if he understood what she was talking about.

They ate quickly, and the storm passed just as fast, so they decided to go for a short walk, holding hands.

(HEY YOU GUYS. I didn't write this part. My friend did, and this is where the "collab" part comes in. Yeah, I was confused too.)

Naruto and Tori turned to go back to his apartment when he smelled something... smoky.

"Holy shit, Tori! You're on fire!"

"Thanks, Naruto."

"No, really!"

Tori heard a familiar giggle, turned around, and gasped. She ran to meet her best friend, who was standing next to Sai, and hugged her.

"Fancy seeing you here!" Tori grinned.

Sai was just as confused as ever, and Naruto was feeling conflicted about putting out the small flame on Tori's butt. Fortunately, it flicked out before it became too serious. Unfortunately, Kakashi came out of nowhere and used the 1,000 Years of Death jutsu on Naruto.

Miri whispered in Tori's ear, "I'm here to fill in for a Choji," and louder, "Can you tell me who that hottie is?"

Tori laughed incredulously, "Sai? Really?"

"Well, Shikamaru was already taken," she mumbled.

"Ha. That's just like you. Not even two minutes and you're already trying to pick up guys."

She smiled sheepishly, "What can I say? He got my attention, alright."

Tori shook her head, "But Sai?" She held up her arms in the universal surrender gesture, "I won't say any more. Just know that foxy here is off-limits."

She pointed to Naruto, who was sprawled on the ground, moaning and clutching his butt in pain. (a/n: I know, lots of immature butt humor, but it's a collab, I didn't write this part.)

Miri laughed, "He looks like a real winner."

Tori rolled her eyes, a smile threatening at the corners of her mouth, "C'mon, we'll walk you to Granny Tsunade's office."

On the way, she mentioned that Ino was a bit of a loose cannon.

"Right after we met, she was spying on me! She started spreading rumors that Naruto and I were sleeping together!"

"Well, is it true?"

She tried to appear casual, "We weren't at the time, but Ino still annoys me."

Miri saw right through her, "You go girl! Way to get in the sack!"

Tori tried desperately to cover her friend's mouth before the whole world knew.

They stopped outside Lady Tsunade's office door.

"Well," Tori said, "Here it is. She probably wants to see you alone. See you later."

Miri hugged her and stepped into Lady Tsunade's office. Sai waited for her awkwardly with Naruto and Tori.

"So, uh, what's going on with her?" Sai rubbed his neck.

Naruto and Tori shared a look, "Uh, special mission, top secret." Which wasn't exactly a lie.

When he thought Sai wasn't looking, Naruto grabbed Tori's hand. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, her hair falling back to reveal the hickey on her neck.

"What happened?" Sai asked with his usual insensitivity.

Tori's hand shot up to cover her neck and Naruto gave her other hand a squeeze, "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing."

She was about to rudely tell Sai to mind his own business, but Naruto shook his head, cautioning her. So, she tried again.

"Naruto and I had some fun last night."

That innuendo totally had Sai baffled and Tori knew it. She chucked and Miri walked out of the Hokage's office.

"So," Tori asked, "How'd it go?"

"I'm gonna be on Team Ten with Ino and Shikamaru."

"Well, that's awkward."

"Yeah, but at least Lady Tsunade gave me a place to stay."

"I don't consider not having a place to stay a disadvantage. It worked out quite well," Tori looked at Naruto and he smiled.

Miri snickered, "That's why she gave me a place to stay."

Tori scoffed and shook her head, "As if Granny Tsunade knows about everyone's relationships."

Naruto looked at Miri, "Hey, you know how to play baseball, right?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, but it's boring. Why don't we play ducky wucky," a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"Miri! No!"

"What's ducky wucky?" Sai asked.

"Trust me, Sai, you don't want to know." Tori shot a glare in Miri's direction.

"Oh, come on, Tori. Give Sai a demonstration," Miri's grin grew bigger.

"No. Noety, noety no. Please spare me. I beg of you."

"Please? You can play with Naruto if you want."

"Fine." Tori glared at Miri. She clung onto Naruto and whispered in his ear, "Will you be my ducky wucky?"

He immediately understood the general idea of the game and peeled her off of him, "I don't want to play right now, thanks."

Miri laughed, "Alright, well you two kids have fun," she winked at Tori and left with Sai.

Tori sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She looked at Naruto and cracked an apologetic smile, "She's always been like that, we're both a little out of our minds, but that makes life fun."

He shrugged, "I don't mind, maybe we can play ducky wucky later, 'tebayo."

She gave him an incredulous look, but soon found out that he wasn't kidding, "Yeah, maybe."

"Hold on," Naruto grimaced, "I gotta take a leak. I'll be right back."

"Okay," she snorted.

A small kid wearing a long, blue scarf walked up to Tori and said hi.

"Hi, Konohamaru, right?"

"Yeah, that's me! I'm gonna be Hokage someday!"

"Cool," she smiled encouragingly.

He furrowed his brow, "Hey, aren't you going out with Naruto?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, he has a Sexy Jutsu that you probably won't like and whenever he used it, Sakura would punch him."

She snickered, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

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;D The sexiness, it cannot be matched. lololol. reviews are appreciated, but not required, because it's already written. muahahahaha no procrastinating here, ladies and germs.


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